Combination sequential and parallel selector mechanism for automatic telegraph apparatus



Oct. 15, 1968 R. E. ARKO 3, COMBINATION SEQUENTIAL AND PARALLEL SELECTOR MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC TELEGRAPH APPARATUS Filed April 15, 1965 ils i INVENTOR I26 ROBERT E. ARKO I [I28 I \T Y I8 I29 an 8 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,406,254 COMBINATION SEQUENTIAL AND PARALLEL SELECTOR MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC TELEGRAPH APPARATUS Robert E. Arko, Mount Prospect, 11]., assignor to Teletype Corporation, Skokie, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 448,426 Claims. (Cl. 178-27) This invention relates to telegraph selectors and more particularly to mechanisms for controlling the operations of telegraph apparatus which are capable of receiving inputs in either a serial or a parallel mode.

In the early days of telegraphy information was frequently conveyed by means of parallel transmission, that is, by assigning an individual wire to each level of the code being transmitted. This method was inefficient since it required the use of at least five wires for the conveyance of worthwhile messages. With advent of the startstop or Baudot code, in which the various levels of the code are transmitted over a single wire in serial fashion, the parallel method of transmission was quickly abandoned in favor of less costly single wire systems. In modern day switching systems messages are often received in serial fashion at a switching center, converted to the parallel mode so that they may be recognized, directed in the parallel mode to an appropriate sending station and then reserialized for transmission to their destination. In monitoring and testing such switching systems it is convenient to provide telegraph apparatus which is capable of being actuated by signals in either the parallel or the serial mode so that the same monitoring and testing devices may be used to examine all phases of the switching operation.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a telegraph selector which is capable of receiving signals in either the serial or the parallel mode.

Another object of this invention is to provide a combination serial and parallel telegraph selector which may be constructed by adding a small number of simple parts to an ordinary serial selector.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention these and other objects are achieved by adding a tail portion to each of the selector cam followers which are shown and described in US. Patent No. 2,595,745, granted to W. I. Zenner on May 6, 1952. A plurality of parallel selector electromagnets, equal in number to the number of selector cam followers, are positioned so that their armatures each engage an individual one of the tail portions and will thereby serve to latch the selector cam followers in the spacing position whenever the magnets are not energized. When it is desired to receive signals in the serial mode all of the parallel selector magnets are energized thereby releasing the tail portions and allowing the selector cam followers to respond to the fluctuations of the serial selector magnet armature in exactly the manner described in the abovementioned Zenner patent. When operation in the parallel mode is desired the latching magnets are simultaneously set according to the character being received. At the same time a time delay circuit is actuated which allows the serial selector magnet to fall to its spacing position for a short time, thereby tripping a clutch and initiating operation of the cam sleeve. After this is done the serial selector magnet ar-mature is returned to the marking position and is held there so that the positioning of the selector cam followers is entirely under the control of the parallel selector magnets. As the cam sleeve rotates a plurality of selector cams each individual to one of the followers will have their low portions presented to the selector cam followers in sequential fashion. If the parallel selector magnet corresponding to an individual selector cam fol- 3,406,254 Patented Oct. 15, 1968 lower has been energized the cam follower will be allowed to follow its selector cam thereby setting its interponent in the marking position. :I-f the parallel selector magnet corresponding to an individual selector carn follower has not been energized the cam follower will not be able to follow its cam and accordingly its interponent will remain in the spacing position. In this manner parallel signals may be received by utilizing the parallel selector magnets while serial signals may be received on the serial selector magnet in the conventional manner.

A further understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a device embodying the invention in which parts have been broken away more clearly to illustrate certain features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of a circuit employed in conjunction with the device shown in FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, there will be seen a selector mechanism which is similar to the mechanism shown and described in US. Patent No. 2,595,745, granted to W. J. Zenner on May 6, 1952. Insofar as is practical the reference numbers of the Zenner patenthave been employed in the present description to designate identical or similar parts. Refernce numerals below are employed exclusively to designate parts the equivalent of which are found in the Zenner patent. Reference numerals 100 and above are used to designate new parts, that is, parts not employed in the Zenner mechanism.

In FIG. 1 there is shown a serial selector magnet 10 which is comprised of coils 11, an armature 12, an armature extension 13 and an armature return spring 14. This selector magnet 10 may be of any of the well known types, however, it is preferably constructed according to the teaching of the copending application of W. M. ONei-l filed May 25, 1964, Ser. No. 369,996, now Patent No. 3,259,812. When current is applied to the coils 11 of the serial selector magnet 10 the armature 12 and, therefore, the armature extension 13, which is rigidly attached to the armature 12 are attracted to the position shown in the drawing against the action of spring 14.

During serial operation a telegraph line is connected to the coils 11 and telegraph signals, which are normally comprised of a start bit which is a spacing (no current) bit, a permutation combination of marking and spacing character bits and a stop (current) bit, cause the armature 12 to move up and down. During periods when sig nals are not being received the telegraph line is held in the stop condition; that is, the line is held in a current condition. This means that during idle periods there is current on the telegraph line and the armature 12 of the magnet 10 will be held in the position shown in FIG. 1.

As soon as a start bit (no current) for a character is received, the armature 12 will fall far enough to allow a start lever 17 to move over the top of the armature extension 13 under the action of a spring (not shown). During this movement the start lever 17 will pivot about a rod 66 and will, through a start lever cross over bar 48, cause an upwardly extending start lever extension 49 to pivot about the rod 66. As is shown in FIG. 2 the upwardly extending start lever extension 49 has a tab 51 formed on its upper end. This tab 51 is in engagement with a clutch trip lever 52 so that as the start lever 17 pivots, the tab 51 causes the clutch trip lever 52 to pivot about a rod 53. This action in turn causes an upwardly extending clutch trip lever extension 54 to move its tab 55 out of the path of a clutch shoe lever 57.

The release of the clutch shoe lever 57 will cause a clutch (not shown) to become engaged. This in turn will cause a sleeve 26 to rotate with a continuously driven shaft 27. As is shown in FIG. 1 there is mounted on the sleeve 26 a plurality of cams 35 (only one of which is shown). It should thus be understood that the receipt of a start pulse by the magnet will, through the armature 12, the armature extension 13, the start lever 17 and the clutch trip lever 52, initiate the rotation of the sleeve 26 and, therefore, the cams carried on the sleeve.

Also mounted on the rod 66 are a marking lock lever and a spacing lock lever 16. Each of these levers is engaged with a cam (not shown) on the sleeve 26 so that the motion of these levers is partially controlled by the cams. During serial operation, the flutter cams on the sleeve 26 which are engaged with the marking lock lever 15 and the spacing lock lever 16 will allow these two levers to come into engagement with the armature extension 13 during each character bit, that is, during each bit between the start bit and the stop bit. The flutter cams will restore the levers 15 and 16 near the end of each character bit. If the character bit is marking a shoulder 21 on the spacing lock lever 16 will engage the end of the armature and further forward motion of the spacing lock lever will be prevented. Nothing will impede the travel of the marking lock lever 15, however, and accordingly a spring 22 will urge the marking lock lever 15 to the right (FIG. 1). The left-hand end (FIG. 1) of the armature extension 13 will, therefore, become surrounded by a surface 2517 on the spacing lock lever 16, the shoulder 21 on the lever 16 and a surface 23a on the marking lock lever 15. These three surfaces will prevent movement of the armature until the next character bit.

If the next character bit is spacing the armature 12 and its extension 13 will fall until the extension 13 comes into contact with a surface 23b on the marking lock lever 15. The marking lock lever will attempt to move forward under the action of spring 22; however, its forward motion will be impeded when a shoulder 19 comes into contact with the end of the armature extension 13. Nothing will prevent motion of the spacing lock lever 16, however, and accordingly, the spacing lock lever will move forward under the action of a spring (not shown) until a surface 25a on the lever 16 is over the end of the armature extension 13. Thus, when the armature 12 is in a spacing condition its extension 13 is surrounded by the surface 231) on the lever 15, the shoulder 19 on the lever 15 and the surface 25a on the lever 16. The movement of the armature 12 will thus be prevented until the next character bit when the flutter cams on the sleeve 26 will again move the levers 15 and 16 out of the path of the armature extension 13.

In addition to the marking lock lever 15, the spacing lock lever 16 and the start lever 17 there are pivotally mounted on the rod 66 a plurality of selector cam followers 41 through 45. These cam followers are identical to the followers of the above-identified Zenner patent except that each of them has its bottom portion extended to form a tail portion 100. The cam followers 41 through 45 are urged by individual springs 67 into individual engagement with a plurality of selector cams which are similar to cam (FIG. 1). Each of the selector cams is fixed to the sleeve 26 and each of the cams has a high portion 34 and a low or notch portion 33. The low portions 33 are offset one from the other so that as the sleeve 26 rotates, the low portions of the cams come into contact with raised portions, such as the raised portion 68 on the follower 45, in sequential fashion. Assume for the time being that the selector cam followers 41 45 terminate first below the rod 66, that is, that the tail portions 100 are not present. When the low portion 33 of one of the cams comes into contact with its selector cam follower, a surface 69 on the upper portion of the follower is urged into engagement with one of a pair of projections 64 which extend rightwardly and leftwardly (FIG. 2)

from the marking lock lever 15. The timing of the rotation of the sleeve 26 is such that the low portion of one of the selector cams 35 comes into contact with its cam follower during each character bit in the character being received. If the character bit is a marking bit the marking lock lever will be allowed to move rightwardly (FIG. 1) under the action of the spring 22. This in turn will allow the cam follower which corresponds to the bit being received to move with the marking lock lever 15 to the right. If, however, the bit being received is a spacing bit the shoulder 19 of the lever 15 will come against the end of the armature extension 13 and, therefore, the marking lock lever 15 will be prevented from rightward movement. The extension 64 of the marking lock lever will block rightward travel of the selector cam followers even though a low portion 33 of a cam 35 is under one of the cam followers. Therefore, as the low portion 33 of the selector cams 35 sequentially come into contact with their individual cam followers the followers will sequentially move rightwardly if the marking lock lever moves rightwardly and will be blocked from rightward movement if the marking lock lever is blocked from rightward movement.

Each of the selector cam followers 41-45 has at its upper end a surface 71. On this surface a push lever 72 rides. If, under the cooperative action of its selector cam 35 and marking lock lever 15, the individual selector cam follower is allowed to move to the right, the push lever 72 will fall off of the surface 71 and under the action of a push lever spring 76 will be driven onto a lower surface 73 on the selector cam follower. When the high portion 34 of the selector cam again comes into contact with the cam follower the push lever will be driven to the left (FIG. 1) and will be guided in its movement by a guide plate 74. If, however, the selector lever has not been allowed to move to the right by the marking lock lever 15, the push lever 72 individual to the selector cam follower will not fall onto the surface 73. Accordingly, when the high portion 34 of the selector cam again engages the selector cam followers, the push lever 72 will not be driven to the left but instead will slide on the surface 71. The motion of the push lever 72 and the absence thereof may be used to control the functions of a telegraph apparatus in the manner taught by the above-identified Zenner patent.

At the start of the next character cycle of the selector, that is, during the next received start element, a cam on the sleeve 26 will activate a stripper bail 77. The stripper bail 77 will move upwardly high enough to drive the push levers 72 which have been engaged with the surfaces 73 over the top of the surfaces 71. The push lever return springs 76 will then drive the push lever 72 rightwardly (FIG. 1) until a tab on each of the push levers 72 engages an upstanding lip on the guide plate 74. The stripper bail 77 will then lower the push levers 72 onto the surfaces 71 so that they will again be ready to be actuated by the cam followers 41 through 45.

The selector cam followers 41 through 45 may be selected for actuation by a plurality of parallel selector magnets 101 through 105, each of which is individual to one of the selector cam followers, instead of being selected by the serial selector magnet 10 in the manner just described. The parallel selector magnets 101 through 105 are mounted on a bracket 108 which is constructed of a magnetic material and which is in turn attached by suitable fasteners to the frame of the device. Each of the parallel selector magnets 101 through 105 has individual to it a latching armature 109. These armatures 109 are urged by springs 110 into the path of travel of the tail portions 100 of the selector cam followers 41 through 45 so that when there is no current supplied to one of the parallel selector magnets, its armature will be urged by the spring 110 into latching engagement with the tail portion 100 of its respective selector cam follower 45.

Assume now that the marking lock lever 15 is held in its rightward or marking position. The positioning of the selector cam followers 41 through 45 will then be completely under control of the parallel selector magnets 101 through 105. For example, if the magnet 105 is energized, its armature 109 will be rocked about the bracket 108 against the action of the spring 110 and will thereby be driven out of the path of travel of the tail portion 100 of the selector cam followers 45. Therefore, when the low portion 33 of the selector cam 35 individual to the selector cam follower 45 comes into engagement with raised portion 68, the selector cam follower 45 will move to the right (FIG. 1) since it will not be prevented from doing so either by the extension 64 of the marking lock lever or by the armature 109 of the parallel selector magnet 105. The push lever 72 individual to the selector cam follower 45 will thereupon be allowed to fall off of the surface 71 and onto the surface 73. When the high portion 34 of the cam 35 again comes into engagement with the selector cam follower 45, the push lever 72 will be driven to the left in the manner previously described.

If there is no current present in the selector magnet 105, its armature will remain in the position shown in FIG. 1 due to the action of spring 110. When the low portion 33 of the cam 35 comes into contact with the raised portion 68, the armature 109 of the parallel selector magnet 105 will prevent the selector carn follower 45 from moving to the right. This in turn will prevent the push rod 72 from falling off of the surface 71 and thus will prevent the raised portion 34 of the cam 35 from driving the push rod 72 to the left.

The selection of the parallel or serial operation may be accomplished by use of a circuit which is similar to the circuit schematically shown in FIG. 3. When serial operation is desired, a switch 113 is depressed to its lower position thereby connecting, by means of a pair of trans fer contacts 114, a pair of leads 116 to the serial selector magnet 10. The depression of the switch 113 also opens a shunt switch 115. The leads 116 may in turn be connected to a telegraph line so that the serial input signals are directly applied to the coils 11 of the serial selector magnet 10. The depressing of the switch 113 also closes five switches 117 thereby connecting a battery 118 to the parallel selector magnets 101 through 105. This operation will supply current to the parallel selector magnets and thus will cause all of the armatures 109 to be pulled out of the path of the travel of the tail portions 100 of the selector cam followers 41 through 45. The selector cam followers will thereby be individually allowed to respond to the position of the marking lock lever 15 as their selector cams 35 sequentially bring low portions 33 into engagement with the individual selector cam followers.

When parallel operation is desired, the switch 113 is moved to the position shown in FIG. 3. This action opens the switches 117 and connects the battery 118 to the serial selector magnet 10 through the transfer switches 114 thereby locking the serial selector magnet 10 in the marking position. This action also closes the shunt switch 115 thereby shunting the leads 116 so that the telegraph line, which is attached to the leads 116 will not be in an open condition.

A plurality of switches 121 through 125 are provided for actuating the selector during parallel operation. When it is desired to apply a parallel signal to the device a permutation combination of the contacts 121 through 125 are closed thus connecting the battery 118 to the individual ones of the parallel selector magnets 101 through 105 which correspond to the contacts which have been closed. This moves the armatures 109 of the parallel selector magnets which have been energized out of the path of travel of the tail portions 100 and allows the springs 110 to keep the armatures 109 of the parallel selector magnets which have not been actuated in the path of travel of their corresponding tail portions 100.

At the same time that the permutation combination of the contacts 121 through 125 are closed a transfer switch 126 is operated to connect a capacitor 128, a starting magnet 129 and a resistor 131 across the battery 118. While the capacitor 128 is charging, current will flow in the circuit and the starting magnet 129 will open a normally closed switch 130 which in turn will momentarily interrupt the connection of the battery 118 to the serial selector magnet 10. This causes the armature 12 of the serial selector magnet 10 to momentarily fall into the spacing position thus allowing the start lever -17 to move over the top of the armature extension 13. This action trips a clutch and initiates the operation of the device in the manner described previously.

When the capacitor 128 becomes charged current will no longer flow in the circuit and since the magnet 129 will no longer be able to hold the switch 130 open the circuit connecting battery 118 and the serial selector magnet 10 will again be closed. The battery 118 will then hold the armature 12 of the serial selector magnet 10 in the marking position thus allowing the marking lock lever 15 to move to the right under the action of the spring during each bit of the character being received. This in turn will allow the selection of the selector cam followers 41 through 45 to be under the control of the parallel selector magnet 101 to and not under the control of serial selector magnet '10.

During the time in which the character is being received the transfer contact 126 is moved to the position shown in FIG. 3 and the capacitor 128 is discharged through lead 127. The capacitor 128 will thereby be made available for the next character.

If the circuit schematic shown in FIG. 3 is employed to control the selector magnet 10 and the parallel selector magnets 101 through 105, the contacts 121 through must be held closed during the entire reading operation of a character. It should be understood, however, that appropriate circuitry may be employed to lock the parallel selector magnets actuated during the receipt of a signal. It should be further understood that appropriate mechanical means may be employed to disable the armature 109 of the parallel selector magnets 101 through 105 during serial operation instead of using the switch 117 and the leads connected to it.

Although only one embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and described in the foregoing specification, it will be understood that invention is not limited to the specific embodiment described, but is capable of modification and rearrangement and substitution of parts and elements without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a selector mechanism having a serial selector magnet responsive to incoming signals to position its armature in either a marking or a spacing position and a plurality of followers individually responsive to the position of the armature for controlling the function of a telegraph apparatus, the following:

a plurality of latching members each in the path of travel of an individual one of the followers for preventing the followers from responding to the position of the serial selector armature;

a plurality of parallel selector magnets each individual to one of the latching members and responsive to an incoming signal to move its respective latching member out of the path of travel of its respective follower; and

means for holding the armature of the serial selector magnet in the marking position whenever signals are being received on the parallel selector magnets and for holding all of the latching members out of the path of travel of the followers whenever signals are being received on the serial selector magnet.

2. A telegraph selector comprising:

serial selector means for receiving permutation combinations of electrical signal in serial fashion, for movement to a first position when the signal received is a spacing signal and for movement to a second position when the signal received is a marking signal;

a plurality of means responsive to the positions of the serial selector means, each of said responsive means for sequentially remaining in a first position if the serial selector means is in its first position and for moving to a second position if the serial selector means is in its second position;

a plurality of latching means each in the path of travel of one of the responsive means for retaining said one of the responsive means in its first position;

a plurality of parallel selector means each individual to one of the latching means for receiving permutation combinations of electrical signals in parallel fashion and for selectively moving individual ones of the latching means out of the path of travel of its respective means;

means operable in one condition to precent the parallel selector means from controlling the responsive means and operable in another condition to prevent the serial selector means from controlling the responsive means, and

means responsive to the positions of the responsive means for controlling the functions of a telegraph apparatus.

3. A telegraph selector including:

a serial selector electromagnet for receiving permutation combinations of signal bits and for positioning its armature in either a marking or a spacing position depending on the character of the bits received;

means responsive to the position of the serial selector electromagnet armature for movement to a marking position when the armature is in the marking position;

a plurality of followers each for engagement with the responsive means and for selective movement with the responsive means to a marking position when the responsive means moves to the marking position;

- timing means for sequentially allowing individual ones of the followers to move with the responsive means to the marking position;

a plurality of latching means each individual to one of the followers for preventing the followers from moving with the responsive means to the marking position when the timing means allows such movement;

a plurality of parallel selector electromagnets for disabling the latching means thereby allowingthe followers to move with the responsive means to the marking position if the responsive means moves to the marking position, and

means for preventing the responsive means from controlling the followers whenever the latching means are controlling the followers and for preventing the latching means from controlling the followers whenever the responsive means is controlling the followers.

4. A telegraph selector including:

a serial selector-magnet including an armature for receiving permutation combinations of signal bits in serial fashion and for positioning its armature in either a marking or a spacing position depending on the nature of the bit received;

a plurality of selector followers positionable in either a marking or a spacing position depending on the position of the serial selector magnet armature;

a plurality of cyclically operable selector cams each individual to one of the selector followers and each having a low portion for allowing its associated follower to move to a marking position. if the serial selector magnet armature is in the marking position at the time the low portion of the cam comes into contact with the follower;

latching means individual to each of the followers for preventing the followers from moving to the marking position;

a plurality of parallel selector magnets for receiving permutation combinations of signal bits in parallel fashion and for disabling selected ones of the latching means thereby allowing the followers associated with the disabled latching means to move to the marking position whenever the low portions of the selector cams associated with said followers come into contact with the followers, and

means for holding the armature of the serial selector magnet in the marking position whenever bits are eing received in parallel fashion and for preventing all of the latching means from engaging the followers whenever bits are being received in serial fashion.

5. A telegraph selector including:

a serial selector magnet for receiving permutation combinations of signal bits in serial fashion;

a serial selector magnet armature for movement to a marking position wheneverthe 'bit being received by the serial selector magnet is a marking bit and for movement to a spacing position whenever the bit being received by the serial selector magnet is a spacing bit;

a plurality of selector followers positionable in either a marking or a spacing position depending on the position of the serial selector magnet armature;

cyclically operable means each for sequentially releasing the followers for movement to a marking position;

latching means individual to each of the followers for preventing the followers from moving to the marking position;

a plurality of parallel selector magnets for receiving permutation combinations of signal bits in parallel fashion and for disabling selected ones of the latching means thereby allowing the followers associated with the disabled latching means to move to the marking position whenever the low portions of the select-or cams associated with said followers come into contact with the followers;

means for holding the armature of the serial selector magnet in the marking position whenever bits are being received in parallel fashion, and

means for preventing all of the latching means from engaging the followers whenever bits are being received in serial fashion.

6; A telegraph selector including:

a serial selector electromagnet for receiving permutation combinations of signal bits in serial fashion and for positioning its armature in either a marking or a spacing position depending on the character of the bits received;

a lever responsive to the position of the serial selector electromagnet armature for movement to a marking position when the armature is in the marking position;

a plurality of followers each for engagement with the lever and for selective movement with the lever to a marking position when the lever moves to the marking position;

a plurality of cams each individual to one of the followers and each having a notch portion which allows the follower associated with the cam to travel with the lever if the lever moves to the marking position, the notch portion of one cam being circumferentially displaced from the notch portion of an adjacent cam so that the notch portions of the plurality of cams taken as a set are arranged in a circumferentially sequential array;

a plurality of latching means each individual to one of the followers for preventing the followers from moving with the lever to the marking position when the notches in the cams allow such movement;

a plurality of parallel selector electromagnets for disabling the latching means thereby allowing the followers to move with the lever to the marking position if the lever moves to the marking position, and

means for preventing the serial selector magnet from controlling the followers whenever the parallel selector magnets are controlling the followers and for preventing the parallel selector magnets from controlling the followers whenever the serial selector magnet is controlling the followers.

7. A telegraph selector comprising:

a serial selector magnet for receiving permutation combinations of electrical signals in serial fashion;

a serial selector magnet armature for movement by the serial selector magnet to a first position when current is applied to the serial selector magnet and for move ment to a second position when no current is applied to the serial selector magnet;

a plurality of means responsive to the positions of the serial selector magnet armature for movement to a first position if the serial selector magnet armature is in its first position and for remaining in a second position if the serial selector magnet armature is in its second position;

a plurality of latching means each in the path of travel of one of the responsive means for retaining said one of the responsive means in its second position;

a plurality of parallel selector magnets each individual to one of the latching means for receiving per-mutation combinations of electrical signals in parallel fashion and for moving the latching means out of the path of travel of the responsive means;

switch means operable in one condition for simultaneously enabling the serial selector magnet to control the responsive means and disabling the parallel selector magnets to control the responsive means and operable in another condition for simultaneously disabling the serial select-or magnet and enabling the parallel selector magnets, and

means responsive to the positions of the responsive means for controlling the functions of a telegraph apparatus.

8. A telegraph selector comprising:

a serial selector magnet for receiving permutation combintaions of electrical signals in serial fashion;

a serial selector magnet armature for movement by the serial selector magnet to a first position when current is applied to the serial selector magnet and for movement to a second position when no current is applied to the serial selector magnet;

a plurality of followers for sensing the positions of the serial selector magnet armature, for moving to a first position if the serial selector magnet armature is in its first position and for remaining in a second position if the serial selector magnet armature is in its second position;

a plurality of parallel selector magnet armatures each in the path of travel of one of the followers for retaining said one of the followers in its second position;

a pluraltiy of parallel selector magnets each individual to one of the parallel selector magnet armatures for receiving permutation combinations of electrical signals in parallel fashion and for moving the armatures out of the path of travel of the responsive means;

switch means for putting the followers under control of the serial selector magnet when signals are being received in serial fashion and for putting the followers under control of the parallel selector magnets when signals are being received in parallel fashion, and

means responsive to the positions of the responsive means for controlling the functions of a telegraph apparatus.

9. A selector mechanism for receiving characters both serially and simultaneously including:

a plurality of selector members each individual to one of the bits of the characters received for individual movement from a first position to a second position whenever the bit corresponding to them is of a first yp means for sequentially releasing individual ones of the members corresponding to bits of the first type for movement from the first position to the second position in response to characters received serially, and

means for simultaneously releasing individual ones of the selector members corresponding to bits of the first type in response to characters received simultaneously.

10. A selector mechanism for receiving characters both serially and simultaneously including:

a plurality of selector members each individual to one bit in the characters received and each mounted for movement from a first position to a second position whenever the bit in a character received to which they correspond is of a first type;

timing means for releasing the selector members for movement from the first position to the second position in sequential fashion;

serial selector means for receiving characters serially and for sequentially blocking movement from the first position to the second position of the selector members corresponding to bits not of the first type; and

parallel selector means for receiving characters simultaneously and for simultaneously blocking movement from the first position to the second position of the selector members corresponding to bits not of the first type.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,665,594 4/ 1928 Krum. 2,339,313 1/ 1944 Zenner. 2,505,729 4/ 1950 Zenner. 2,595,745 5/ 1952 Zenner. 2,951,902 9/ 1960 Arko et a1. 2,982,810 5/ 1961 Kleinschmidt. 3,187,096 6/ 1965 Kleinschmidt.

THOMAS A. ROBINSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A SELECTOR MECHANISM HAVING A SERIAL SELECTOR MAGNET RESPONSIVE TO INCOMING SIGNALS TO POSITION ITS ARMATURE IN EITHER A MARKING OR A SPACING POSITION AND A PLURALITY OF FOLLOWERS INDIVIDUALLY RESPONSIVE TO THE POSITION OF THE ARMATURE FOR CONTROLLING THE FUNCTION OF A TELEGRAPH APPARATUS, THE FOLLOWING: A PLURALITY OF LATCHING MEMBERS EACH IN THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF AN INDIVIDUAL ONE OF THE FOLLOWERS FOR PREVENTING THE FOLLOWERS FROM RESPONDING TO THE POSITION OF THE SERIAL SELECTOR ARMATURE; A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL SELECTOR MAGNETS EACH INDIVIDUAL TO ONE OF THE LATCHING MEMBERS AND RESPONSIVE TO AN INCOMING SIGNAL TO MOVE ITS RESPECTIVE LATCHING MEMBER OUT OF THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF ITS RESPECTIVE FOLLOWER; AND MEANS FOR HOLDING THE ARMATURE OF THE SERIAL SELECTOR MAGNET IN THE MARKING POSITION WHENEVER SIGNALS ARE BEING RECEIVED ON THE PARALLEL SELECTOR MAGNETS AND FOR HOLDING ALL OF THE LATCHING MEMBER OUT OF THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE FOLLOWERS WHENEVER SIGNALS ARE BEING RECEIVED ON THE SERIAL SELECTOR MAGNET. 